Free Web NovelChapter 70: Planning to destroy Atlantis from inside
Victor did not attempt to force his way through the Atlantian barrier. Such an action would have been no different from announcing his presence to every powerful expert within Atlantis. The barrier was not merely a defensive structure. It was a sophisticated surveillance system woven together with ancient technology and cultivation techniques. Any attempt to break through it by force would have triggered countless alarms and drawn the attention of the Emperor’s forces almost instantly.
Instead, Victor chose a far more elegant solution.
A layer of mana wrapped around both him and Diana. The space around them twisted silently as he activated teleportation. There was no explosion of energy and no visible disturbance. Everything happened with perfect precision.
One moment, they were standing within the crushing depths of the oceanic trench, surrounded by darkness and the immense pressure of the abyss. The next moment, solid ground greeted their feet.
The transition was seamless.
As soon as he arrived, Victor lifted his head and looked upward.
The sight before him nearly stole his breath.
An enormous crystalline dome stretched across the heavens, creating an artificial sky beneath the ocean. Beyond its transparent surface lay an endless sea containing millions upon millions of tons of water. Yet not a single drop penetrated the barrier.
The darkness of the deep ocean was transformed into a breathtaking display of colors. The surrounding waters acted as a gigantic natural prism, scattering light into shades of sapphire, cyan, violet, and gold. Streams of luminous energy drifted through the water beyond the dome, creating auroras unlike anything that existed on the surface.
The city itself was even more astonishing.
Towering structures crafted from white marble and silver veined alloys rose toward the artificial sky. Massive residential districts floated high above the streets, suspended by technologies that modern humanity could barely comprehend. Rivers of glowing liquid light flowed through the air, connecting different sections of the city like radiant highways.
Vehicles traveled through these luminous currents in complete silence. There was no noise, no visible propulsion, and no wasted movement. Everything operated with absolute precision.
Victor slowly exhaled.
"Mind blowing," he said quietly. "They did not merely survive the cataclysm. They preserved the technology of both the First and Second Civilizations and continued improving it for thousands of years."
Diana observed the city with cold eyes.
"And they kept all of it hidden while the surface world suffered and bled."
Victor did not answer immediately.
Instead, he issued a command.
"Nova, identify our location."
A moment later, Nova’s voice echoed inside his mind.
[Coordinates confirmed. Sector Seven. Lower Tier Residential District, Atlantis.]
[Identity synchronization complete. Visualizing targets.]
A holographic display appeared within Victor’s vision. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Two Atlantian citizen profiles materialized before him.
The individuals selected by Nova were named Kaelen and Lira. Both belonged to the lower tiers of Atlantian society. Their ancestors had descended from the original survivors of the First Civilization, but countless generations had diluted their bloodlines.
They possessed enough heritage to remain citizens of Atlantis, yet not enough to enjoy the privileges reserved for the elite.
For Victor’s purposes, they were ideal.
The history of Atlantis was unusual.
When the ancient catastrophe destroyed civilization on the surface, the people who would later become Atlantians fled beneath the oceans. There they built vast hidden cities and survived while the world above descended into chaos.
Yet even Atlantis had suffered greatly over the ages.
Entire populations had perished. Families had vanished. However, the ancient civilization had preserved something invaluable.
They had preserved their genetic records.
Using advanced technologies inherited from earlier eras, Atlantis continuously restored and recreated bloodlines that otherwise would have been lost forever. Generation after generation, they maintained a connection to their ancient ancestors.
It was this practice that allowed the descendants of the First Civilization to continue existing even after countless millennia.
"We should move," Victor said while adjusting the collar of his silver trimmed tunic.
The adaptive garment had been generated seamlessly by his equipment, matching local Atlantian fashion perfectly.
"We look convincing enough. Now we need to behave like we belong here."
Together, they stepped out of the alleyway and entered one of the main promenades.
Victor carefully observed the people around him.
For years, surface humanity had believed that Atlantians were some entirely different species. The truth became obvious after only a few minutes of observation.
They were human.
However, they represented a version of humanity that had been carefully refined over countless generations.
Most citizens stood significantly taller than modern humans. Their physiques appeared naturally optimized. Their skin carried a faint luminescence that seemed to reflect the dense ambient energy permeating the city. Hair colors ranged from ordinary shades to uncommon hues such as silver, deep blue, and sea green.
Their eyes were perhaps the most distinctive feature.
Nearly every Atlantian possessed a subtle metallic sheen within their irises.
Despite these differences, Victor noticed something familiar.
The expressions.
Some citizens appeared exhausted after long work shifts. Others carried ambition in their eyes. Some worried about finances, careers, or family matters.
They were not divine beings.
They were simply humans who had inherited advantages beyond anything available on the surface.
Diana walked beside him with complete composure.
Thanks to the information provided by Nova, her movements perfectly matched local customs. She blended naturally into the crowd as though she had spent her entire life within Atlantis.
Together they boarded a public transit vessel powered by antigravitational technology.
The craft glided soundlessly through the city.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at a residential district built into the side of a massive terraced aqueduct.
Victor approached a modest apartment and activated his wrist device.
Using Kaelen’s biometric credentials, which Nova had successfully replicated, he fooled the security system without difficulty.
The metallic door slid open with a soft hiss.
They entered.
The apartment was clean, efficient, and heavily integrated with advanced technology. Bioluminescent lighting illuminated the rooms with a gentle glow. Metallic furnishings blended functionality with minimalist aesthetics.
This was the home of two ordinary citizens attempting to survive within a society obsessed with bloodline purity and cultivation talent. freeweɓnovel.cøm
As soon as the door sealed behind them, silence filled the room.
Diana walked toward a transparent wall overlooking the city.
Victor joined her.
From their vantage point, Atlantis stretched endlessly in every direction. Residential districts, commercial towers, research facilities, and cultivation academies filled the landscape.
Far in the distance stood a structure that dominated everything around it.
The Atlantian Imperial Palace.
Even from such a great distance, its presence was overwhelming.
The combined auras of thirty four Sages and the Emperor himself radiated across the city like a miniature sun.
Diana gazed at the palace.
"The Emperor has announced a beast tide."
Before entering Atlantis, Nova had intercepted portions of the Atlantian communication network. Through those intercepted transmissions, Victor had already learned about the Emperor’s plans and shared the information with Diana.
Victor stared at the distant palace.
The relaxed expression he had worn throughout their infiltration vanished.
In its place appeared the cold and calculating demeanor that had terrified the three Sages on the surface.
"Let them test us," he said quietly.
His voice contained a dangerous certainty.
"While the Emperor focuses on the surface and prepares for war, he will never notice the shadow growing behind him."
Victor placed one hand against the transparent wall.
His mind was already constructing countless possibilities.
"We have approximately one month before their military preparations are finalized. By the time they realize that the surface is no longer weak enough to intimidate, Atlantis will already be bleeding from within."
Diana turned toward him.
"You sound very confident."
Victor stepped away from the window and approached the apartment’s information interface.
"I am confident."
A series of holographic screens appeared before him.
Public news broadcasts immediately filled the display.
At the center of every report stood the same figure.
The Emperor.
He appeared youthful, handsome, and utterly composed. His golden eyes radiated authority while his mere presence inspired obedience.
"Nova," Victor said.
"Begin compiling detailed profiles on every noble family with a history of succession disputes. I also want information on families whose heirs failed major cultivation expectations, households that were denied recent promotions, and clans carrying significant debts to the Imperial Treasury."
Nova responded immediately.
[Understood. The process will require time.]
Diana crossed her arms.
"You plan to recruit dissatisfied nobles."
Victor smiled faintly.
There was no warmth behind it.
"I do not need them to rebel. I only need them to hesitate."
He closed several information windows and continued speaking.
"The Emperor’s greatest strength is unity. If that unity begins to crack, every strategic calculation changes. A civil war does not actually need to occur. It only needs to appear possible."
Understanding slowly appeared in Diana’s eyes.
Victor continued.
"The moment the Emperor suspects betrayal from within his own ranks, he will be forced to redirect resources. Troops, intelligence networks, cultivators, and political influence will all be diverted inward."
"That is still a gamble," Diana said.
Victor shut down the final display.
"Everything is a gamble."
His gaze returned to the distant Imperial Palace.
For the first time since entering Atlantis, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"But we are no longer gambling with our own resources."
His eyes narrowed as countless plans unfolded within his mind.
"We are gambling with theirs."
